Strength Modeling of Reinforced Concrete Beam with Externally Bonded Fibre Reinforcement Polymer Reinforcement

Abstract

This research study presents the evaluation of the structural behaviour of reinforced concrete beams with externally bonded Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) reinforcements. Three different steel ratios with two different Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) types and two different thicknesses in each type of GFRP were used. Totally fifteen rectangular beams of 3 m length were cast. Three rectangular beams were used as reference beam (Control Beams) and the remaining were fixed with GFRP laminates on the soffit of the rectangular beam. The variables considered for the study includes longitudinal steel ratio, type of GFRP laminates, thickness of GFRP laminates and composite ratios. Flexural test, using simple beam with two-point loading was adopted to study the performance of FRP plated beams interms flexural strength, deflection, ductility and was compared with the unplated beams. The test results show that the beams strengthened with GFRP laminates exhibit better performance. The flexural strength and ductility increase with increase in thickness of GFRP plate. The increase in first crack loads was up to 88.89% for 3 mm thick Woven Rovings GFRP plates and 100.00% for 5 mm WRGFRP plated beams and increase in ductility interms of energy and deflection was found to be 56.01 and 64.69% respectively with 5 mm thick GFRP plated beam. Strength models were developed for predicting the flexural strength (ultimate load, service load) and ductility of FRP beams. The strength model developed give prediction matching the measurements.